Diptember 2018 Week 1: Dreams
by redwoodroots
Summary: Dipper has second thoughts about his dream to start a TV show. Mabel boops some sense into him! (Mostly just fluffy drabble! Enjoy!)


p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"When Mabel walked into their bedroom, the place was a mess. Papers, colorful brochures, and crumpled-up notes carpeted the floor. It looked like that one time he and Grunkle Ford had summoned a brain-eating wizard from their board game. Dipper himself was sitting smack in the middle of the mess, surrounded by a nest of chewed pens, head bent over his new laptop, typing furiously. /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"She sighed. "Dipper, I thought you said you were done writing petitions to drive alien spaceships." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"This isn't for the spaceship, I finished the last petition an hour ago. It's already up on the Space Lizard forum."/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"There's a forum now?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Of course. Sewers, websites – hiding in plain sight is the best disguise. Also, do you mind?" He made a shooing motion at her foot. /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"She moved it and picked up the sheaf of papers she'd been standing on. "What emis/emspan style="font-style: normal;" all this, and why is it blocking the path to my sleep?"/span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"These are all the forms you'd need to fill out to get accepted into college these days. Look at this!" He grabbed a bunch of papers and held them up. "These things all want your resume, GRE scores, 'Statement of Purpose' – what does span style="font-style: normal;"that even mean? Do I have to know the purpose of my life at eighteen? I'm thirteen and I barely understand the purpose of P.E.! Give us a bunch of water balloons, we'll run around on our own just fine!" /span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"She rolled her eyes. "The purpose of life is love, doofus. But I don't see why you're looking to write emmore/em essays when the school year barely started." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Because if I don't start looking at this stuff now I'll fall behind!" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Fall behind what?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Dipper groaned and flopped over onto his back, holding the papers over his face. "Forget it. I have to read this. Just go to sleep." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"Mabel sat down next to him and patted his arm. "C'mon, bro, I know obsessing over things is like, your /spanemthing/emspan style="font-style: normal;", but isn't it a little early for you to be freaking out over college applications?"/span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"I don't know... Just – look at this." He flung out an arm, felt around until he hit his laptop, and turned the screen to face them. The screen showed a young man with black hair parted right down the middle. "Michael Kearney was only /spanemten/emspan style="font-style: normal;" when he graduated college – in two years – and then at 14 got his Master's degree. And there was a video before that about Jacob Barnett, the youngest astrophysicist /spanemever/emspan style="font-style: normal;". And Great-Uncle Ford was reading college-level stuff in elementary school, and probably would've graduated college by the time he was my age if he'd had the money to go, and even then he was /spanemstill/emspan style="font-style: normal;" getting published in scholastic journals before he even finished middle school!" /span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"He was definitely a nerdbot from an early age," she agreed. "But, Dipper, there's no reason to feel pressured by any of this. It's like trying to compare donuts with ice cream. Sure, you're both sweet, and one of you sweats a lot when it's hot out, but you're both wonderful in their own sugary ways." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"That's kind of the problem." Dipper sat up and turned to face her. "Mabel, what if my dream of having a ghost-hunting show is too...pedestrian? I don't expect myself to build the first satellite that leads to contact with alien life, or go popping in and out of dimensions like an interdimensional prairie dog. I can't compete with that. But I want to do /spanemsomething/emspan style="font-style: normal;". Is making a show about ghosts really enough? Can I really make my mark competing with the factually inaccurate yet incredibly popular /spanemGhost Harassers? /emspan style="font-style: normal;"Should I try doing something /spanemmore?/emspan style="font-style: normal;"" /span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Mabel picked up the nearest college application. It was for W. Allstreet University, which, according to the tiny print at the top, was well-known for its programs in International Business and Socio-Political Science. She held it out to him. /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"But Dipper...will going here really make you /spanemhappy?/emspan style="font-style: normal;"" /span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"He gave her a blank look. "What does that have to do with anything?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"She dropped the paper on the floor. "Only that solving supernatural mysteries is your passion. I know that if I tried really hard to be smart at math or whatever, you would totally help me out, even though you'd definitely torture me with math puns." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Hey, my math puns are –"/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"Cruel and unusual torture, Dipper, but that's beside the point." She wagged a finger at him. "My point is that I could try, and I'd get better, especially with your help. But I wouldn't be /spanemhappy/emspan style="font-style: normal;". My inner Mabel would be crying out for me to make paper-mache out of my homework, but instead I'd just be grinding my forehead against a textbook, wondering if I could learn through osmosis."/span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Dipper's face twitched, hiding a smile. "You mean like you did last year when you thought you weren't going to pass science class?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Exactly! Was it fun seeing me that miserable?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"No," he said immediately. "Honestly, I was glad when it was over." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"I don't want to see you that miserable, either." She took the application he was holding and, a few quick twists and folds later, sent a paper UFO went sailing through the air. "Now /spanemthis/emspan style="font-style: normal;" is what you know and love. So I say, do your TV show! It might crash and burn as hard as you did –"/span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"That was /spanemone time/emspan style="font-style: normal;" –"/span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"span style="font-style: normal;"But! Even if your ghost hunter show goes horribly wrong, that doesn't mean you have to give up on your dream! You can always branch out and do a show about aliens!" She grinned and nudged him. "I mean, you already totaled one spaceship, so that means you have experience! You can do your show on anything you want!" /span/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"This is true," Dipper said slowly. "I mean, I do tons of youtube videos on urban legends and supernatural creatures. I bet I could do specials or something on my ghost-hunting show. And even if I only did ghosts, overturning the prevailing scientific paradigms that ignore the existence of ectoplasmic entities would have some pretty profound philosophical implications even for the average layman!" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Exactly!" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"He glanced over the paper mess again. "I just... I want to make sure I'm doing something emreal/em, you know? Something that matters." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"She poked him in the chest. "Dipper H. Pines, emyou/em were inspired by the extraordinary nerdiness that is our Great-Uncle Ford. And now, somewhere out there, is a little baby dork who is waiting to be inspired by emyou/em. Are you gonna let Future Dork down?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"No, but – just one person isn't really –"/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Grunkle Stan taught us that even helping just one person is a worthy cause!" she shouted. "Now – are you gonna follow your dream, or are you willing to let poor little Future Dork down!?"/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"He cracked a smile. "I guess...follow my dream?"/span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"CORRECT!" She leaped to her feet and threw an armful of paper in the air like confetti. "Prepare yourself, world! DIPPER IS ABOUT TO UNLEASH GHOSTY GOODNESS UPON YOU!" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Dipper smiled. "Thanks, Mabel. Now I remember why I tell you things." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Because I'm the best sister ever WHY YES I AM THANK YOU!" She scooped up an application and tapped him on the head with it. "So are you gonna stress out over college applications, or are you going to check that Alien Lizard thing to see if they got your petition yet?" /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: YuMincho;"He laughed, waving her off. "I guess I'll check the site. It'll just take a second." /span/p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" /p  
p style="text-indent: 0.51in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;""span style="font-family: YuMincho;"Right," she said, mockingly, since they both knew he'd be up until midnight. She bent down and kissed his cheek. "G'night, bro-bro. Have dorky dreams!" /span/p 


End file.
